Gutsy Holiday Parenting
For loving connection & peace at home…
Melissa picked up her kids at aftercare after a long day at work. When they walked in the house, she was immediately confronted by piles of laundry, a dishwasher that needed to be emptied, dinner that needed to be made and homework that needed to be done. In other words, immediate feelings of urgency and overwhelm.
Only a few months ago, she would have reacted right away by giving them tasks to try to get things under control. She would’ve been met by a lot of resistance in this after school transition and sadly, things would’ve gotten ugly.
But that’s not what she did! This time Melissa paused and put on her own oxygen mask for a sec and then made a gutsy choice. She went against all the voices in her head, (including her mom‘s), and chose connection over perfection. She let go of urgency telling her what to do and instead decided to do what she knew they all needed… They all went out for a walk before dinner!
Not only did they have fun together, she had lovely one on one conversations with each of them as they took turns riding bikes. The dog got his zoomies out. And they all ended up feeling more regulated and connected!
A peaceful dinner and an enjoyable evening ensued.
So, when you feel urgency or overwhelm, let that be your clue to pause and breathe into your oxygen mask. Then make a gutsy choice for connection over perfection.
